Saturday, August 25
Young candidate withdraws
RICHARD WOODD richard.woodd@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Saturday, 25 August 2007
South Taranaki election nominations closed yesterday with two dramatic, unexpected develop-ments.
Twenty-year-old mayoral candidate CJ Mahony got cold feet and withdrew less than two hours from the noon deadline.
Mr Mahony told the Taranaki Daily News at 10am he was withdrawing from the mayoral contest but would be nominated for a council seat. However, he failed to lodge the nomination and could not be contacted.
Earlier he said: "I thought about it long and hard and decided I'm not ready for the mayoralty and the town's not ready for me.
"I will go for the mayoralty at a later stage. The research I've done and the advice I've been given is that I need to do an apprenticeship as a councillor first."
His withdrawal still leaves eight mayoral contenders for the position being vacated by Mary Bourke after 15 years.
A by-election will have to be held in Patea, where there was only one nominee for four community board seats.
Three incumbent members (Robert Amon, John Hughes, Sharlene Stokes) are retiring but may have to carry on until the by-election, which may not be held until next year.
Council communications officer Gerard Langford said concerns began mounting a week ago when there was only one person nominated for a total of 16 community board positions.
"We hit the panic button and a lot of phone-calling produced results everywhere but Patea," he said.
"I guess the situation reflects the boards' shrinking agendas and continuing public apathy, which is a problem throughout the country."
A by-election is required within 82 days of the chief executive informing the electoral officer of the vacancy.
The election for the seven Taranaki District Health Board elected members is by Single Transferable Vote across the entire region. There are no wards or constituencies.
Postal voting papers will be delivered between Friday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 26. Voting closes at noon on Saturday, October 13.
Full results will be published in the Taranaki Daily News on Monday, October 15.
SOUTH TARANAKI DISTRICT MayorWilliam Batchelor (nominated by Jack Rangiwahia, Allan Hunt), Ian Dilworth (Alexander Little, Stevan Mikaera), Ross Dunlop (Judith Ogle, Murray Findlater), Roger Jenkins (Alistair Hurley, Dennis Hurley), Debbie Packer (Shirley Mulder, Jan McCallum), Stephen Pivac (Aileen Joyce, Jennifer Cavaney), Bryan Vickery (Dr Dan Devadhar, Pamela Field), Ian Wards (Garth Weir, Marie Dwyer).
CouncilHawera-Normanby Ward (4)
Paula Barton (Celine Filbee, Paul Rogers), Andrew Beccard* (Valerie Baylis, Fiona Hicks), Kirsty Bourke* (David Harris, Trevor Lister), Wendy London (Julie Cudby, Bruce Cudby), Peter McNamara (Cathryn Milgate, Craig Wilson), Michael Powell* (Cliff Hunt, Jeff Bigham), Simon Rangiwahia (Jack and Ruth Rangiwahia).
Tangahoe Ward (1)
Peter Johnson (Grant Pollock, Evan Vallender), Jeffrey Ward (Douglas Bates, Ethel Bates).
Egmont Plains Ward (3)
Ian Armstrong (Ronald William, Allan Harvey), Ann Hickey* (Leo Hickey, Darrell Hickey), John Hooker (June Hooker, Barbara Hana), Ian Smith* (Arthur Hughson, Maurice Murray).
Eltham Ward (2)
Alexander Ballantyne* (Gary and Judith Rodgers), Gordon Lawson* (Donald Drabble, Trevor Sharpe).
Patea Ward (2)
Warwick Fry* (Jo Byam, Helen Fairweather), Debbie Packer (Sharlene Stokes, Queenie Gripp), Ian Wards* (Marie Dwyer, Lawrence Gibbs).
Community boardsHawera-Normanby (3)
Colin Greaves*, Fiona Hicks*, Fred Kumeroa* (no election required).
Hawera-Tangahoe (1)
Kelly Judkins (no election required).
Egmont Plains (4)
Sharon Arlidge*, Ronald Brewer, Craig Dingle*, Ann Gibson*, Keith Scott, Brian Vincent.
Eltham (4)
Alexander Ballantyne*, Karen Cave, William Hansen*, Alan Hawkes*, Maree Liddington, Christine Turner.
Patea (4): Ailsa Aiken* (by-election required)
*denotes sitting member
South Taranaki election nominations closed yesterday with two dramatic, unexpected develop-ments.
Twenty-year-old mayoral candidate CJ Mahony got cold feet and withdrew less than two hours from the noon deadline.
Mr Mahony told the Taranaki Daily News at 10am he was withdrawing from the mayoral contest but would be nominated for a council seat. However, he failed to lodge the nomination and could not be contacted.
Earlier he said: "I thought about it long and hard and decided I'm not ready for the mayoralty and the town's not ready for me.
"I will go for the mayoralty at a later stage. The research I've done and the advice I've been given is that I need to do an apprenticeship as a councillor first."
His withdrawal still leaves eight mayoral contenders for the position being vacated by Mary Bourke after 15 years.
A by-election will have to be held in Patea, where there was only one nominee for four community board seats.
Three incumbent members (Robert Amon, John Hughes, Sharlene Stokes) are retiring but may have to carry on until the by-election, which may not be held until next year.
Council communications officer Gerard Langford said concerns began mounting a week ago when there was only one person nominated for a total of 16 community board positions.
"We hit the panic button and a lot of phone-calling produced results everywhere but Patea," he said.
"I guess the situation reflects the boards' shrinking agendas and continuing public apathy, which is a problem throughout the country."
A by-election is required within 82 days of the chief executive informing the electoral officer of the vacancy.
The election for the seven Taranaki District Health Board elected members is by Single Transferable Vote across the entire region. There are no wards or constituencies.
Postal voting papers will be delivered between Friday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 26. Voting closes at noon on Saturday, October 13.
Full results will be published in the Taranaki Daily News on Monday, October 15.
SOUTH TARANAKI DISTRICT MayorWilliam Batchelor (nominated by Jack Rangiwahia, Allan Hunt), Ian Dilworth (Alexander Little, Stevan Mikaera), Ross Dunlop (Judith Ogle, Murray Findlater), Roger Jenkins (Alistair Hurley, Dennis Hurley), Debbie Packer (Shirley Mulder, Jan McCallum), Stephen Pivac (Aileen Joyce, Jennifer Cavaney), Bryan Vickery (Dr Dan Devadhar, Pamela Field), Ian Wards (Garth Weir, Marie Dwyer).
CouncilHawera-Normanby Ward (4)
Paula Barton (Celine Filbee, Paul Rogers), Andrew Beccard* (Valerie Baylis, Fiona Hicks), Kirsty Bourke* (David Harris, Trevor Lister), Wendy London (Julie Cudby, Bruce Cudby), Peter McNamara (Cathryn Milgate, Craig Wilson), Michael Powell* (Cliff Hunt, Jeff Bigham), Simon Rangiwahia (Jack and Ruth Rangiwahia).
Tangahoe Ward (1)
Peter Johnson (Grant Pollock, Evan Vallender), Jeffrey Ward (Douglas Bates, Ethel Bates).
Egmont Plains Ward (3)
Ian Armstrong (Ronald William, Allan Harvey), Ann Hickey* (Leo Hickey, Darrell Hickey), John Hooker (June Hooker, Barbara Hana), Ian Smith* (Arthur Hughson, Maurice Murray).
Eltham Ward (2)
Alexander Ballantyne* (Gary and Judith Rodgers), Gordon Lawson* (Donald Drabble, Trevor Sharpe).
Patea Ward (2)
Warwick Fry* (Jo Byam, Helen Fairweather), Debbie Packer (Sharlene Stokes, Queenie Gripp), Ian Wards* (Marie Dwyer, Lawrence Gibbs).
Community boardsHawera-Normanby (3)
Colin Greaves*, Fiona Hicks*, Fred Kumeroa* (no election required).
Hawera-Tangahoe (1)
Kelly Judkins (no election required).
Egmont Plains (4)
Sharon Arlidge*, Ronald Brewer, Craig Dingle*, Ann Gibson*, Keith Scott, Brian Vincent.
Eltham (4)
Alexander Ballantyne*, Karen Cave, William Hansen*, Alan Hawkes*, Maree Liddington, Christine Turner.
Patea (4): Ailsa Aiken* (by-election required)
*denotes sitting member
Wednesday, August 15
View Mt Taranaki Live -
http://www.taranakivista.co.nz/index.php?page=home
Taranaki Vista, live Landscape Photography by Fiona Clark.Images are live from our web cam, full size and high resolution. Choose the resolution and frame rate to suit your screen and your connection. As well as the latest view of the mountain, now, there is a gallery of still pictures of great days and interesting phenomena.
Taranaki Vista, live Landscape Photography by Fiona Clark.Images are live from our web cam, full size and high resolution. Choose the resolution and frame rate to suit your screen and your connection. As well as the latest view of the mountain, now, there is a gallery of still pictures of great days and interesting phenomena.
Monday, August 13
Supermarkets
Supermarket owners have a reshuffle RICHARD WOODD richard.woodd@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Monday, 13 August 2007
Big changes have been happening in supermarket ownership in Stratford and Hawera.
Hawera's $18 million Pak 'n Save has already been sold, only seven months after it opened last December.
For a few months this supermarket's petrol station had the cheapest retail prices in the country: 21c a litre discount if you bought $40 worth of groceries.
In Stratford, New World has been bought by former Oakura Four Square owners Jimmy and Jackie Lim.
The Kovaleski family operated Pak 'n Save, after selling their Hawera New World operation to Rachel and Mike Clayton, the former Write Price operators.
The Kovaleskis have sold out to Peter Arthur, who has appointed Kevin Jones as manager. He says he intends to sell the business to him eventually, "... provided he performs."
Palmerston North-based Mr Arthur says he had a call from the Foodstuffs Group after managing director Tony Kovaleski announced the store was for sale.
Mr Arthur does not envisage an early return to the big petrol discounts of the brief Kovaleski era.
"In this game things change from day to day and it depends what the competition is doing, but we won't be giving it away, that's for sure," he says.
Mr Kovaleski and his wife, Sam, have bought a beachfront home at Paraparaumu and are looking at business opportunities in the greater Wellington area. He declined to say why they decided to sell.
Mr Arthur's entry into the grocery business began when he worked as a schoolboy at the Ngaere Store, which his parents owned. He was the fourth generation of the family in that store.
Here is the sequence of events since then, as described by Mr Arthur. "In 1977 I left school and we bought the old Stratford New World from John Hedditch. In 1986 we bought the old Hawera New World and two years later built a new store on the same site. In 1991-92 my father and myself rebuilt the Stratford New World. In 1998 the Kovaleskis bought Hawera New World and I bought the Palmerston North Pak 'n Save, which I still own.
"In 2000 my brother John bought my interest in Stratford New World and later became the sole owner when our father died."
John Arthur has sold out to Jimmy and Jackie Lim. Mr Lim was born in Stratford in 1944 to Chinese immigrant parents. They started a fruit and vegetable shop which stayed in family ownership through to 2005, when it was closed on the retirement of his brother, Kevin.
In 1994 Mr and Mrs Lim left Stratford and bought the Oakura Four Square, which they sold in May this year to buy the New World business. Mr Lim says his son and son-in-law are also involved in the business and it will provide careers for their children.
"Foodstuffs will be enlarging the carpark and improving access this year and two years further out they plan to enlarge the store," he says.
Big changes have been happening in supermarket ownership in Stratford and Hawera.
Hawera's $18 million Pak 'n Save has already been sold, only seven months after it opened last December.
For a few months this supermarket's petrol station had the cheapest retail prices in the country: 21c a litre discount if you bought $40 worth of groceries.
In Stratford, New World has been bought by former Oakura Four Square owners Jimmy and Jackie Lim.
The Kovaleski family operated Pak 'n Save, after selling their Hawera New World operation to Rachel and Mike Clayton, the former Write Price operators.
The Kovaleskis have sold out to Peter Arthur, who has appointed Kevin Jones as manager. He says he intends to sell the business to him eventually, "... provided he performs."
Palmerston North-based Mr Arthur says he had a call from the Foodstuffs Group after managing director Tony Kovaleski announced the store was for sale.
Mr Arthur does not envisage an early return to the big petrol discounts of the brief Kovaleski era.
"In this game things change from day to day and it depends what the competition is doing, but we won't be giving it away, that's for sure," he says.
Mr Kovaleski and his wife, Sam, have bought a beachfront home at Paraparaumu and are looking at business opportunities in the greater Wellington area. He declined to say why they decided to sell.
Mr Arthur's entry into the grocery business began when he worked as a schoolboy at the Ngaere Store, which his parents owned. He was the fourth generation of the family in that store.
Here is the sequence of events since then, as described by Mr Arthur. "In 1977 I left school and we bought the old Stratford New World from John Hedditch. In 1986 we bought the old Hawera New World and two years later built a new store on the same site. In 1991-92 my father and myself rebuilt the Stratford New World. In 1998 the Kovaleskis bought Hawera New World and I bought the Palmerston North Pak 'n Save, which I still own.
"In 2000 my brother John bought my interest in Stratford New World and later became the sole owner when our father died."
John Arthur has sold out to Jimmy and Jackie Lim. Mr Lim was born in Stratford in 1944 to Chinese immigrant parents. They started a fruit and vegetable shop which stayed in family ownership through to 2005, when it was closed on the retirement of his brother, Kevin.
In 1994 Mr and Mrs Lim left Stratford and bought the Oakura Four Square, which they sold in May this year to buy the New World business. Mr Lim says his son and son-in-law are also involved in the business and it will provide careers for their children.
"Foodstuffs will be enlarging the carpark and improving access this year and two years further out they plan to enlarge the store," he says.
Thursday, August 9
Judge dies on way to court
Judge dies on way to court
12:36PM Thursday August 09, 2007
A judge collapsed and died on the way to court this morning.
Judge Murray Abbott had just yesterday finished presiding over the seven-day trial of a suspended police recruit who was acquitted on charges of attacking and sexually violating a Christchurch prostitute.
It is understood the judge was on his way to Christchurch District Court this morning when he collapsed and died.
Judge Abbott was 57. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and three children.
Judge Abbott is remembered as a well-respected and hard working member of the judiciary.
A partner in the Christchurch law firm Anthony Harper for many years, Judge Abbott was appointed to the District Court and Youth Court benches in 1989.
Judge Abbott was born in the Taranaki town of Eltham and went to school at Wanganui Collegiate. He studied law at Canterbury University, and after graduating in 1973 began practice with the then Christchurch law firm of Harper Pascoe and Co.
After being made a judge in 1989, Judge Abbott was appointed to New Plymouth and transferred back to Christchurch in 1996.
Chief District Court Judge Russell Johnson said today news of Judge Abbott's death "came as a great shock" to all his colleagues.
"He was a very well-liked and respected judge. This is very sad news," he said.
Judge Johnson offered his "heart-felt commiserations" to Judge Abbott's family.
Canterbury District Law Society president Dr Ed Wylie QC said he was shocked to hear of Judge Abbott's sudden death.
Judge Abbott practised as a lawyer in Christchurch for a number of years before being appointed as a judge.
As a lawyer he served as legal counsel for the Christchurch Star newspaper in the 1980s.
Dr Wylie told NZPA Judge Abbott was "popular and well respected by his colleagues".
"As a judge, he was diligent, hard working and courteous, and a respected member of the District Court bench.
"I'm sure the profession in Christchurch would join with me in expressing its condolences to Mrs Abbott and the family."
Some courts were adjourned early today and a number of staff appeared upset at learning of Judge Abbott's death.
Rangiora lawyer John Brandts-Giesen, a fellow student with Judge Abbott at Canterbury University, said he would remember his long-time friend for his abilities and "somewhat zany sense of humour".
"He was a very hard-working and able judge and had a phenomenal photographic memory," Mr Brandts-Giesen told NZPA.
"It's a tragedy for his wife and family."
Brent Stanaway, Crown prosecutor for Christchurch and Greymouth, said Judge Abbott was a popular judge with an engaging manner and very fair approach.
"I am deeply saddened at the death of Judge Murray Abbott, who I much admired as an extraordinarily hard working, experienced and able District Court Judge."
Mr Stanaway said Judge Abbott was a very pro-active judge who sought to modernise trial management, with the intention of expediting the administration of justice.
He and his fellow prosecutors extended condolences to Judge Abbott's family.
- NZPA
12:36PM Thursday August 09, 2007
A judge collapsed and died on the way to court this morning.
Judge Murray Abbott had just yesterday finished presiding over the seven-day trial of a suspended police recruit who was acquitted on charges of attacking and sexually violating a Christchurch prostitute.
It is understood the judge was on his way to Christchurch District Court this morning when he collapsed and died.
Judge Abbott was 57. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and three children.
Judge Abbott is remembered as a well-respected and hard working member of the judiciary.
A partner in the Christchurch law firm Anthony Harper for many years, Judge Abbott was appointed to the District Court and Youth Court benches in 1989.
Judge Abbott was born in the Taranaki town of Eltham and went to school at Wanganui Collegiate. He studied law at Canterbury University, and after graduating in 1973 began practice with the then Christchurch law firm of Harper Pascoe and Co.
After being made a judge in 1989, Judge Abbott was appointed to New Plymouth and transferred back to Christchurch in 1996.
Chief District Court Judge Russell Johnson said today news of Judge Abbott's death "came as a great shock" to all his colleagues.
"He was a very well-liked and respected judge. This is very sad news," he said.
Judge Johnson offered his "heart-felt commiserations" to Judge Abbott's family.
Canterbury District Law Society president Dr Ed Wylie QC said he was shocked to hear of Judge Abbott's sudden death.
Judge Abbott practised as a lawyer in Christchurch for a number of years before being appointed as a judge.
As a lawyer he served as legal counsel for the Christchurch Star newspaper in the 1980s.
Dr Wylie told NZPA Judge Abbott was "popular and well respected by his colleagues".
"As a judge, he was diligent, hard working and courteous, and a respected member of the District Court bench.
"I'm sure the profession in Christchurch would join with me in expressing its condolences to Mrs Abbott and the family."
Some courts were adjourned early today and a number of staff appeared upset at learning of Judge Abbott's death.
Rangiora lawyer John Brandts-Giesen, a fellow student with Judge Abbott at Canterbury University, said he would remember his long-time friend for his abilities and "somewhat zany sense of humour".
"He was a very hard-working and able judge and had a phenomenal photographic memory," Mr Brandts-Giesen told NZPA.
"It's a tragedy for his wife and family."
Brent Stanaway, Crown prosecutor for Christchurch and Greymouth, said Judge Abbott was a popular judge with an engaging manner and very fair approach.
"I am deeply saddened at the death of Judge Murray Abbott, who I much admired as an extraordinarily hard working, experienced and able District Court Judge."
Mr Stanaway said Judge Abbott was a very pro-active judge who sought to modernise trial management, with the intention of expediting the administration of justice.
He and his fellow prosecutors extended condolences to Judge Abbott's family.
- NZPA
Monday, August 6
Historic house nearly up in smoke
LYN HUMPHREYS lyn.humphreys@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Monday, 6 August 2007
Irreplaceable treasures at Parihaka were within minutes of destruction after an electrical fire just after midnight yesterday.
"Another five minutes and it would have gone," Rahotu Volunteer Fire Brigade senior station officer Paul Mundt says. "It was very fortunate no one was inside."
It was lucky that the fire was discovered when a man, who had gone outside for a smoke from another house at the pa, smelt smoke from what he thought was a rubbish fire.
When he investigated, he found it was coming from the outside wall at Te Niho meeting house.
Although the fire brigade was called and was on its way, the flames quickly took hold and were soon leaping higher than the roof of the old tinder-dry building.
"If it had got into the ceiling space, it would have been all over," Mr Mundt says.
But people living on the pa rallied and were able to put out the flames with a bucket brigade before the firefighters arrived.
"They managed to extinguish it before we got there. If they hadn't, she would have been history."
The fire is believed to have started in a meter board on the outside of the meeting house and to have been caused by a combination of old wiring and moisture.
People sometimes stayed overnight at the meeting house, he said.
"It's a good wake-up call to everyone. Smoke alarms may have helped but no one was staying in the building that night."
The brigade intended to go to the pa this week to discuss fire safety.
Papa Kainga trustee Peter Moeahu, who does not live on site, was shocked when hearing of the fire from the newspaper.
He says the taonga on the walls of the Te Niho house include photos of past generations, paintings of the history of Parihaka and large photo prints of the pa's early years.
It also hold greenstone treasures, gifts from visitors both from across New Zealand and overseas - all of which are irreplaceable.
"You could sum it up as the museum of Te Niho."
Mr Moeahu says he will be pleased to meet with the brigade to discuss fire prevention.
Ironically, the South Taranaki Liaison Committee had just approved $8000 for the drawing up of a plan for the redevelopment of Te Niho.
Irreplaceable treasures at Parihaka were within minutes of destruction after an electrical fire just after midnight yesterday.
"Another five minutes and it would have gone," Rahotu Volunteer Fire Brigade senior station officer Paul Mundt says. "It was very fortunate no one was inside."
It was lucky that the fire was discovered when a man, who had gone outside for a smoke from another house at the pa, smelt smoke from what he thought was a rubbish fire.
When he investigated, he found it was coming from the outside wall at Te Niho meeting house.
Although the fire brigade was called and was on its way, the flames quickly took hold and were soon leaping higher than the roof of the old tinder-dry building.
"If it had got into the ceiling space, it would have been all over," Mr Mundt says.
But people living on the pa rallied and were able to put out the flames with a bucket brigade before the firefighters arrived.
"They managed to extinguish it before we got there. If they hadn't, she would have been history."
The fire is believed to have started in a meter board on the outside of the meeting house and to have been caused by a combination of old wiring and moisture.
People sometimes stayed overnight at the meeting house, he said.
"It's a good wake-up call to everyone. Smoke alarms may have helped but no one was staying in the building that night."
The brigade intended to go to the pa this week to discuss fire safety.
Papa Kainga trustee Peter Moeahu, who does not live on site, was shocked when hearing of the fire from the newspaper.
He says the taonga on the walls of the Te Niho house include photos of past generations, paintings of the history of Parihaka and large photo prints of the pa's early years.
It also hold greenstone treasures, gifts from visitors both from across New Zealand and overseas - all of which are irreplaceable.
"You could sum it up as the museum of Te Niho."
Mr Moeahu says he will be pleased to meet with the brigade to discuss fire prevention.
Ironically, the South Taranaki Liaison Committee had just approved $8000 for the drawing up of a plan for the redevelopment of Te Niho.
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